Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Date: September 26, 2023 <br />To: Mayor Nari Niedfeldt-Thomas <br />New Brighton City Council <br />From: Harry Davis, Planner II <br />Jenni Faulkner, Senior Planner <br />Subject: Accessory Dwelling Units Ordinance <br />City of New Brighton <br /> <br /> <br />I. Goals of the New Ordinance <br />The City of New Brighton wants to create standards (zoning and licensing) for accessory <br />dwelling units to further affordable housing and diversity of housing stock in the city. A <br />recent housing study included five (5) production strategies, five (5) preservation <br />strategies, and one (1) capacity building strategy. Amongst the eleven strategies to <br />implement, the one that was selected as a good first candidate to explore was adoption of <br />new regulations to govern and allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) within the City. <br />Adoption of new ADU regulations would immediately allow development of new <br />affordable housing units throughout the fully developed City of New Brighton. Well over <br />half of the City’s total land area (see the attached map) and 70% of the City’s parcels are <br />guided and zoned for single family housing. Currently, the only pathway to create a <br />second unit on these lots is to build a “servant’s quarters,” and only a handful of parcels <br />in the City are able to meet the minimum standards to qualify for this option. <br />Certain ADU options can provide low-income families a pathway to ownership and <br />wealth-building. Many low-income families are completely priced out of the housing <br />market given today’s land prices. Having the ability to offset the cost of ownership with <br />monthly ADU rental income can overcome this challenge (by either renting out the ADU, <br />or by living in the ADU and renting out the primary property). <br />Likewise, an ADU option can provide avenues for seniors to age in place. While they may <br />own their home outright, a lack of income during retirement coupled with maintenance <br />and medical costs results in many seniors exploring options to leave their life-long homes. <br />An ADU option provides an income stream, as well as an opportunity to downsize on-site. <br />